[Updated for 2023]
The Word of God is ALWAYS with you when you have a Bible app on your mobile device.
A whopping 42% of smartphone users have a Bible app installed. That’s according to a poll highlighted in this EWTN News Nightly episode. Convenience and portability don’t even scratch the surface of the many reasons to download a Bible app! With capabilities to quickly search, highlight, share, link, copy/paste verses, access concordance, access extended footnotes and much more, you’ll see that a Bible app offers much more than just text. And it’s light weight! We’ve collected some of the better Catholic Bible Apps out there for you to browse. Some are even FREE! https://youtu.be/w2jbeFJ1VZU?t=1196
What is the Bible?
God speaks to us in many ways. One way God speaks to us is through the Bible. The Bible is the most important book in Christian life because it is God’s message, or revelation. The Bible is the story of God’s promise to care for us, especially through his Son, Jesus. At Mass we hear stories from the Bible. We can also read the Bible on our own. <Read more from Loyola Press>
How do I know if a Bible is an approved Catholic translation?
You can check out the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ list of approved translations of the Bible for private use and study by Catholics. In addition to the translations listed, according to the USCCB, “any translation of the Sacred Scriptures that has received proper ecclesiastical approval ‒ namely, by the Apostolic See or a local ordinary prior to 1983, or by the Apostolic See or an episcopal conference following 1983 ‒ may be used by the Catholic faithful for private prayer and study.”
What Bible translation do we use for Scripture readings for Mass in the Roman Rite?
- In United States: The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE). (Note: not the New American Standard Bible which is a different translation.)
- In Canada: New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
From USCCB: “Released on March 9, 2011, the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) is the culmination of nearly 20 years of work by a group of nearly 100 scholars and theologians, including bishops, revisers and editors. The NABRE includes a newly revised translation of the entire Old Testament (including the Book of Psalms) along with the 1986 edition of the New Testament.”
Want to learn more about reading and understanding the Bible from the Catholic perspective? Check out the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ web site to start your journey.
Bible-In-A-Year Reading Plans within Apps
The Bible can be difficult to understand if you start on page one of the Book of Genesis and read all the way through 73 books ending with Revelation. That’s because the Bible isn’t structured with a chronological narrative like we are used to in most books we read. Three apps we highlight– Hallow, Amen and Truth and Life Bible– offer a methodical way to read the Bible with reading plans to not only help you better understand the text, but to actually get you through the entire Bible in a year! Blessedly, these daily sessions are recorded for you, so you can listen to audio tracts each day which run approximately 15 to 20 minutes each. Let’s take a look at the Bible-in-a-Year audio programs offered by Hallow, Amen and Truth and Life Bible apps. Hallow and Amen contain a vast catalog of resources which you can read about in a previous review. Below we will just focus on their free audio Bible reading episodes spanning 365 days:
Hallow
Hallow is touted by developers as the #1 Catholic app. Yes, it has a subscription side in which you can unlock the vast collection of resources, but on the free side you automaticaly get the popular Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz. Simply download the app and you’ve got the program. It is based on Dr. Jeff Cavins’ Great Adventure Bible Timeline which follows 14 narrative books from the Old and New Testaments which are put in context of the non-narrative books (like Wisdom and Psalms), so you eventually wander through all 73 books of the Bible. An insightful three-part introduction about the Bible and how to get the most out of reading it through this specific reading plan tees you up to begin your journey.
From developers: “For each period in the timeline, Jeff will join Fr. Mike for a special episode that will help you understand the context of each reading. With this podcast, you won’t just read the Bible in a year … you’ll finally understand how all the pieces of the Bible fit together to tell an amazing story that continues in your life today!”
This program uses the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition translation of the Bible. Father Schmitz’s reading is quick-paced (think: he consumed a lot of high-octane coffee). While I’m not a fan of his rapid-shot delivery, his passion for sharing the story of salvation history is infectious. Following the readings, Father Schmitz offers a brief explanation of what you heard in that episode and how the passages relate to us today.
Amen App (Free) Apple | Android by Augustine Institute Amen App’s Bible in a Year audio program is a no-explaination, no-frills audio read of the Bible by a professional narrater. So, unlike Hallow app’s offering, you won’t get any explanations or reflections to help you better understand what you read/heard. In this plan, each day (dated Day 1, Day 2, etc.) features three readings, one each from the Old Testament, Wisdom Literature, and the New Testament. The program utilizes the English Standard Version® Catholic Edition translation– which, developers say, many consider to be the best available English translation of the Bible. After the three parts of the Bible are read to you, the screen automatically takes you to your personal section of the app in which you can write down (and share) your meditations in a journal entry. 
Truth & Life Dramatized audio Bible New Testament (Free text with in-app purchase to unlock all the audio; Gospel of Mark audio free) RSV-Catholic Edition translation Apple | GooglePlay | |Kindle Fire | Online web. Includes audio/text for Gospel books; text for entire Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition English translation of the Bible.
Imagine a reading plan that will serve the Gospels texts to you on your mobile device AND read it to you! This is not your ordinary audio book. We’re talking a world-class production of the Gospels read by more than 70 actors (many celebrities) with movie studio sound effects and an original music score!
On a long road trip? Stuck in traffic? Fire up this app and enjoy having the Gospels read to you while you listen to the oars of Peter’s boat slapping the water on the Sea of Galilee or the crowds gasp in amazement on witnessing a miracle from Jesus. You’ll enjoy the original background music that dramatically enhances the readings.
From Developers: “More than 70 actors help bring the scriptures to life in this 22-hour audio production, complete with this award-winning audio New Testament … endorsed with an Imprimatur from the Vatican and including a foreword by Pope Benedict XVI.”
The 365-day reading plan takes you through the entire Bible chronologically. Check out other reading plans in the screenshot. As an added bonus, you get the audio version of the Gospel of Mark with this free version with the ability to upgrade (a mere $20) to the full New Testament audio at any time. So, while the full text of the Bible is free, the audio New Testament is not, with the exception of the Gospel of Mark. The quality of the audio is well worth the price as you’ll experience hearing Mark’s Gospel.
Individual audio books of the New Testament are $1.99 ea; the complete new Testament is $19.99 and the entire package audio and study bible is 29.99.
- Complete text of RSV-CE translation synchronized with audio [text highlights move with the audio reading- very cool]
- Go directly to any verse and hear and see the Bible text instantly [very cool!]
- Use the built in playlist [built-in reading plan] to hear/read the New Testament in 40 days or in Chronological order
- Search verses
- Create your own playlist of verses [who else provides that?]
- Remembers where you left off with bookmark.
- Easily fit entire 22 hours of audio on your device.
- Ability to highlight text and take notes
- Maps of the Holy Land during various Biblical times
- Spanish text version of the Bible is NOW offered (La biblia de Straubinger, considered the primer Catholic Bible in Spanish)
Bible Apps
– Move between chapters via swipe left/right gesture
– Increase/decrease font size by pinch in/out gesture
– Search verses, filter by chapter, book, old, new, entire bible
– Bookmark verses by touching a verse
– Copy multiple verses
– Highlight verses
– Tweet verses
– Book introductions
– Hypertext footnotes
– Hypertext endnotes
– Hypertext references
– Daily Readings
– History of Last 50 Verses Visited
– Stories, Parables, Miracles, Prayers found in the Bible
Catholic Audio Bibles (some contain full text of Bibles too)
Catholic Study Bibles
Study Bibles come with tremendous extra resources to help you dig deeper into the text for your study or devotional life. Want to discover treasures hidden within Sacred Scripture? A Catholic study Bible is a great place to start. These resources typically include commentaries, extended footnotes, maps, lexicons, photos, Church documents, search capability, Hebrew and Greek translations, concordances and much more. x 
Screen shot of one of the many pages filled with resources in Verbum.
Verbum (Free for basic components) Apple and Android and Kindle Fire and Mac and PC. This is the best Catholic Bible study app in the market. It is produced under the Logos Bible Software product line, a powerful Bible study platform all on its own. While Logos is primarily Protestant in orientation, its developers have created a Catholic version of their popular Logos App under the brand, Verbum. Not all Bible study apps are created equally. This one caters uniquely to Catholic study in that it incorporates sacred scripture and tradition. That means that documents of the Church, writings of Church Fathers, Catholic commentaries and the teachings of the faith (various Catechisms) are among many Catholic resources included in the bundle. But it goes beyond that. Verbum integrates Church documents and writings and commentaries into your experience of studying sacred Scripture. That’s because the search function includes your entire library, not just Scripture. So, you can enter Scripture or a topic in the Passage Guide and within seconds it finds material from all the books loaded into the app including the Scriptures, Church Fathers, Medieval theological works, and contemporary theology— all linked to the page you need. If that is not enough, the Exegetical Guide introduces you to original ancient languages, even if you don’t read Greek or Hebrew. You can split screen to read Bible verse with another book simultaneously. The complete Roman Catholic lectionary is included in the free version, so even if you only got this app for the Mass readings, it’s worth it. There is a lot more to this exceptional Catholic Bible study app including highlighting, bookmarking and note taking capabilities which it saves on line so you can access your information and open to the last page read among your mobile devices or your computer. A video tutorial is bundled with the app to help you learn how to use many of its features. Here is an in-depth review that will sell you on this power-app if you are not convinced of its value already. Some of the valuable resources bundled into the full version of Verbum ($49.95-which you can pay for and download after you load the free Verbum app) include:
- The Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition ($13.95 if you want to purchase it separately)
- The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent (Text Only)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church
- The Catechism of the Council of Trent (Text Only)
- Catholic Lectionary
- The Decrees of the Vatican Council
- Douay-Rheims Bible
- The Sources of Catholic Dogma
- Vatican II Documents
